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Starting to wonder if my supply is low...

She was born 7 pounds 2 ounces, she gained weight great until 5 months of age. At 5 months she was 13 pounds. I took her in for another weight check at she had only gained 4 ounces.

I am taking her in for another weight check later this week, but from our home scale she doesn't seem to have gained any more than a couple of ounces.

She nurses frequently, not for very long at a time. (5 minutes or a bit longer). I do not restrict her nursing times. I also co sleep with her for about 6 hours a night, and I know she is attached 99% of the time then.

She is developing right on. She was army crawling at 5 months old, sitting up at 4 months. She isn't very verbal, but does make some noises.

She just isn't growing.

I have started pumping after she feeds. I am only getting about an ounce, but I have been told to not base your milk supply on what you can pump out.

I do not give any formula (she doesn't take it anyways, from when I've tried).

Re: Starting to wonder if my supply is low...

Since every baby follows their own personal growth trajectory, it's normal for babies to move around on the charts. Some move up, some move down. Some months they put all their calories into height, sometimes they put more into weight, and once they become mobile, they tend to put a lot of calories into motion. Since your baby was so mobile so early, I'm not surprised that she's not gaining a lot of weight right now! Has her height increased while her weight gain paused? If so, she is growing, just in a different dimension from the one you are concerned about.

What are you and your baby's dad like, physically? Are you large, tall people, or small, slender ones?

And, as the PP asked, are you feeding your baby solids? If so, what is she eating, and how much is she eating?

Please don't freak out about your milk supply. If you're feeding on demand, more than likely everything is fine.

Re: Starting to wonder if my supply is low...

She eats solids three times a day. These solid feedings have never replaced a nursing session. I will nurse her, and then when she is done she gets solids.

Her diapers seem fine. At least 4 wet a day. Her first morning diaper is always extremely wet.

Both her father and I are tall (5'8 and 5'9), but I was a tiny baby.

She isn't losing any weight, it is just frustrating because her doctor is pushing so hard to make her grow faster.

I am pumping after she nurses (she typically only takes one side) and am getting .5 an ounce. I've never been a good pumper.

Is there anything else I can be doing?

Thanks!!

It sounds to me like you're doing everything right... As long as the baby has plenty of wet and dirty dipes, she's probably getting plenty. Don't worry too much about only getting 1/2 ounce AFTER the baby nurses... To me, that's actually a GOOD sign, because that means that more than likely the baby is transferring milk well, emptying the breast, and is getting plenty to eat. And as you have already stated, the amount of milk you can pump says nothing about how much milk the baby can remove from your breasts. Some mamas can't pump worth a darn, but they have more than enough milk for their LO's. If you're still worried, you might start offering the 2nd breast after she finishes the first one... My LO used to only take 1 breast per feeding too, but eventually started taking both breasts.

HTH

Buff

IRL all my friends call me Buff, Wife to CB since 10/11/2003

Mom to DD - "MJ" born 9/2007 @ 8lbs 10oz, 21.5" She's 6 years old!
My journey nursing MJ started HERE, but we got through it and she breastfed 19.5 months, self-weaned on 5/17/09

Re: Starting to wonder if my supply is low...

Here are some things you could do:
- Concentrate on high-calorie solids. Cut out the rice cereal and feed her things like whole-milk yogurt, avocado, meat, and beans. If you want, you could probably mix some oil into her food. (Some docs will tell you to use butter- I'd probably go with olive oil, since it's a healthier fat.)
- Try co-sleeping. Sometimes a baby will nurse frequently at night when mom's breast is right there. This is something that might be hard on you, of course!
- If you want to increase your milk supply via pumping, you might want to look into getting a better pump than whatever you are using now. Sometimes a good pump can make a huge difference. When I was trying to increase my supply using a dinky little Ameda Purely-Yours, I got nowhere. When I switched to a rental hospital-grade Medela Lactina with correctly-sized breast shields, my pumping output increased dramatically.
- You might want to consider getting a professional-grade baby scale. By weighing your baby before and after nursing, you can obtain a very accurate record of her milk intake. If her intake is sufficient, your doc might accept that your baby is who she is and back off!

She isn't losing any weight, it is just frustrating because her doctor is pushing so hard to make her grow faster.

Is she growing in height? If so, she is growing even if she isn't packing on the pounds. Some babies are just destined to be thin for their height.

Also, have you considered getting a different pediatrician? Sometimes docs get so wound up in where a baby is on the charts that they forget to look at the whole picture. A fresh perspective is sometimes called for!